Falling Off the Face of the Earth into Satay Chicken...

What the heck does that title mean, you may ask?

Fine Heirloom Jungle fans, I feel as though I have fallen off the face the earth for a short time with too much on my plate (pun intended).  My fall has landed me back into reality with Satay Chicken, a house hold favorite, especially for the summer grilling months. I hope along with this delightful dish (that I can't take original credit for) I find more free time, much more sleep (anyone with little ones can relate) and less inconvenient interruptions (that are not means to an end...well maybe)! 

I for the life of me can't remember were of got this recipe off the internet....I would happily give credit if I could find it again easily or wanted to make the effort to do so today. SO THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE, the credit is all yours!! 

Satay Chicken Recipe:

8-12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (no it does not say chicken breast for a reason...trust me you low-fat junky)
1 small onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger (skin removed)
1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
2 Tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce 
4 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
5-6 tablespoons brown sugar

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning). The kitchen sink works well for this.
2. Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.
3. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.
4. Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add more sugar or more fish sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste. You can also add more chili if you want it spicier.
5. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (up to 24 hours).
6. When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.
7. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

To Falling off the Face of the Earth, Bretta ;-))

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Ahh the lovely cucumber...good for dipping and on greens salads! If you want to eat it plain then this is one of our household favorites! 

I rarely make the time to do this but one trick I heard was to cut the cuc's beforehand, add salt and let sit so most of the water drains out. This makes for a thicker and longer lasting creamy salad. 

Creamy Cucumber Salad (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, New Cook Book)

2 medium cucumbers (peeled or not both are wonderful)
¼ sweet onion finely chopped (I like to sauté a little first)
½ cup greek yogurt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
6 drops liquid stevia (lemon flavor is great!)
Salt and pepper to taste




Mix onions, yogurt, vinegar and stevia well.  Add sliced cucumbers and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Wonderful Crustless Quiche: Frittata

Crustless Quiche: OR Frittata!!

Let's face it, these days carbs are out and protein is in! Frittata is just like quiche but without the crust. This is nice for many reasons including you don't have to make a crust or buy a hydrogenated oil filled one from the store. Most likely you have all these ingredients right in your refrigerator. 

Frittata Recipe:
6 eggs
3/4 cup liquid, such as milk, almond milk, broth
3/4 veggie filling (such as onions, peppers, mushrooms or what ever you have on hand)
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper 
2  teaspoons butter or olive oil or grape seed oil



Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 10 1/2 inch round pan or 9 x 9 inch baking dish and set aside. 

In a skillet over a medium heat saute vegetables until tender and onions are translucent. 

Beat eggs, milk, cooked veggies, butter, salt, and pepper until well blended. Pour mixture into baking dish and sprinkle cheese. 

Bake 20 minutes or until set. There should be no visible liquid egg when it is done. 

Turkey Burgers

I forgot how much I (and the whole family) enjoy homemade Turkey Burgers until I made them again to get these wonderful pictures! Yum!! Our three year old cleaned his plate, I huge win for protein. 

Personally I like to double or triple the recipe and freeze the add ins for later use. I'm all about saving time and energy. =))  Pull the mixture out of the freezer, thaw and add to your ground turkey. Yeah, dinner is ready in a flash!

This is also the only recipe that I regularly use my Lean Mean Grilling Machine, since these DO NOT do well on a regular grill. Way too soft! This recipe gives instructions for stove top cooking. 

Turkey Burgers Recipe (Adapted from Whole Food Bible):

1/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cups coarsely ground oatmeal (put oatmeal in a blender and pulse until the oatmeal is the consistency of bread crumbs)
1 egg
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup milk or soy mild or stock 
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove of minced garlic
3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground organic free-range turkey

Mix all the ingredients except ground turkey well in blender. Add mixture to ground turkey and stir throughly. Form into 1 inch thick patties and place in a lightly oiled skillet. Cook the burgers over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Flip the burgers carefully (they are quite soft) and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Serve the burgers hot. 

To Your Health, 
Bretta

Roasted Veggies with Dressings

Really we believe you can roast just about any veggie out there! My picky husband Phil has been converted to broccoli and green beans that have been roasted. Delicious hot out of the oven or cold over a salad!

Basic Roasted Veggie Recipe with Dressings!:

2 potatoes – cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrots – peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
1 beet - peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion – peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pepper or 1 broccoli stock or fresh green beans.  (Go crazy and try roasting something new, rarely have we gone wrong….maybe skip the cucumber but otherwise go for it)

Dressing Ideas:

Basic Dressing:
1/8 cup olive oil
4 Tablesoopns balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Asian Dressing (Adapted from Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites)
1/3 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 fresh pressed garlic cloves

Caribbean Dressing (Adapted from Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites)
3 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
2 tablespoons red whine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar (or 4-6 drops dark liquid stevia)
½ teaspoon driend thyme
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
1 large pressed fresh garlic
dash of cayenne if you would like some extra spice

Other Dressing Ideas:
Store Bought Curry 
Fresh Lemon Juice with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese


Preheat oven to 450 (or 425 convention). Place all root veggies on a metal baking tray. Place all other veggies on different metal baking tray.   Cook root veggies first for 15 minutes, then flip, stir them and put back in the oven. Add second tray with other veggies into the oven. Add dressings and cook both trays for another 10-15 minutes.  Veggies should turn out crispy not burnt!